Michael Collins

is an Emmy nominated filmmaker and the founder of Thoughtful Robot Productions. In 2005 he directed Caught in an Injustice, a one-hour documentary broadcast on Spanish national television that received Special Mention at the 15th International TV3 Actual Awards. In 2010, Michael’s short film, Gerthy’s Roots, won the Belief Matters Award and was selected for the Media that Matters collection. In 2011, Give Up Tomorrow premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won the Audience Award and a Special Jury Prize for Best New Director. The film went on to screen in over 75 festivals in 40+ countries, winning 18 major awards including seven Audience Awards, four Human Rights Awards and the Activism Award at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival. It was Emmy-nominated for Best Investigative Journalism and nominated for a Grierson Award in the UK. Michael’s most recent feature, Almost Sunrise, opened theatrically in select US cities, followed by a PBS national broadcast in November 2017. It was nominated for an Emmy® Award in 2018 for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary.

Almost Sunrise (18+)

Almost Sunrise is a story of veteran resilience and recovery. The film follows two Iraq veterans, Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson, who struggle with depression upon returning home from service. Fearful of succumbing to the epidemic of veteran suicide, they seek a lifeline and embark on a 2,700-mile walk across America as a way to confront their inner pain. The film captures an intimate portrait of two friends suffering from the unseen wounds of war as they discover an unlikely treatment: the restorative power of silence and meditation.